Recovery Action

Reptile & Amphibian Initiative

No other class of wildlife in Canada faces a greater risk of extinction than reptiles and amphibians. Their eggs and young are being decimated by raccoons and other predators that benefit from human activity. Invasive species are changing the ecosystems they depend on, while fragmented habitat leaves many isolated populations susceptible to inbreeding. On top of that, pollution, roadkill, poaching and climate change all pose significant threats.

According to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), more than 40 amphibian and reptile species are currently threatened or endangered. More than a third of these species need some form of hands-on intervention to survive.

Partnerships and Supported Research

Our Recovery Team

Hannah McCurdy Adams

Reptile and Amphibian Development Coordinator

Hannah is developing the national reptile and amphibian initiative for Wildlife Preservation Canada. She has worked with experts in the fields of road ecology, physiology and genetics. Hannah has been involved in conservation projects for at-risk reptiles and amphibians in Canada for almost a decade.

Andra Gielens

Lead Biologist - Fraser Valley Wetlands Recovery Program

Andrea manages our captive breeding and release programs for the Oregon spotted frog and the coastal western painted turtle. Andrea has studied at-risk reptiles and amphibians in Canada and abroad, including a term at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Jersey. Andrea also manages the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly recovery program on Denman Island in BC.

Jonathan Choquette

Lead Biologist – Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery Program

Jonathan manages the recovery program for the Ojibway population of the massasauga rattlesnake in Southern Ontario. Jonathan is a habitat expert, studying both biology and landscape architecture at the University of Guelph. As an academic for many years, Jonathan has published numerous articles about the importance of habitat for reptiles and amphibians.

How you can help:

Help reverse the loss of habitat by protecting or restoring wetlands or shoreline and surrounding vegetation on your property.

Collect the garbage from local wetlands in your community — try getting a group together!

Watch for turtles and snakes on the roads, especially between May and October. Learn how to safely move them off the road, and do so when you can.

Many people fear snakes, especially venomous snakes. Encourage more positive attitudes and put the threat posed by massasauga rattlesnakes in perspective.

Never buy wild-caught amphibians or reptiles.

Never release pet amphibians or reptiles into the wild or move wild adults or tadpoles from one location to another. This may introduce or spread diseases among native populations.

Snakes often re-use the same hibernation site every year. Protect existing hibernation sites, and consider building a snake hibernaculum.

Make a Donation

Show your support for endangered animals by making a secure online donation today. Your gift will go directly to our work on the front line of animal conservation.

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About Us

Wildlife Preservation Canada saves animals on the brink of extinction. Since 1985, we’ve been saving critically endangered species – species whose numbers in the wild are so low that a great deal more than habitat protection is required to recover them.